Colombia's President Gustavo Petro (centre) stands for the playing of the national anthem during a meeting with delegates of the Comuneros del Sur, a dissident faction of the National Liberation Army or ELN, to discuss ongoing peace talks in Pasto, Colombia, April 5, 2025
A REBEL group called the Commoners of the South has begun surrendering its weapons to Colombia’s government, the Defence Ministry said at the weekend.
The handover is linked to peace talks expected to lead to the group’s complete disarmament in the coming months.
The group, comprising about 250 fighters operating in Colombia’s south-western Narino province, has been in negotiations with the government since last year.
The disputed election of a far-right president, who is also a US citizen, signals further consolidation of Washington’s regional power and represents a threat to the country’s democracy and sovereignty, writes WT WHITNEY JNR
With Petro, Colombia has been making huge strides towards peace — but is all that at risk with the elections next year? MARK ROWE reports back after joining a delegation to the Latin American country
Colombia’s success in controlling the drug trade should be recognised and its sovereignty respected, argues Dr GLORY SAAVEDRA
